Jointing sleeve or ferrule for electric cables



Jan. 21, 1930.

A. E. WILSON JOINTING SLEEVE OR FERRULE FOR ELECTRIC CABLES Filed Jan.1926 Patented Jan. 21, 1930 UNITED STATES ALFRED EDGAR WILSON,

OF BROMLEY, ENGLAND JOINTING SLEEVE OR FERRULE FOR ELECTRIC CABLESApplication filed January 5, 1926, Serial No.

This invention relates to jointing sleeves or ferrules for electriccables and has for its object to provide a one-piece ferrule which canbe placed in position round the abutting ends of two cables in ajunction or joint box without moving the cables and without removing somuch insulation as is usually necessary.

Hitherto a one-piece ferrule has usually taken the form of a cylindricaltube or sleeve of cast or drawn metal, having a longitudinal slot and inusing such a ferrule to connect two cables fixed in a junction of jointboX, it has been necessary to remove from one of the cables an amount ofinsulation approximately equal to the length of the ferrule so that theferrule could be clipped over-the. bared end and then brought back so asto enclose a suificient length of the bared end of 2 the other cable.This necessitated the reinsulation of the bare cable outside theferrule, a matter involving in some instances considerable time andskill.

Divided ferrules, i. e. ferrules split longitudinally, have been usedbut the two parts of which they were made had necessarilyto be clampedor held together whilst the joint was being made and the second splittended to allow the solder to flow through the joint instead of beingretained within the ferrule.

A jointing sleeve or ferrule according to the present invention is madeof cast, drawn or rolled metal, and is provided with one or morelongitudinal grooves or thin portions so that the ferrule can be appliedin an open position to the bared ends of the cables and closed roundthem by hand or other pressure, after which the joint can be made in theusual way. Y

Preferably the improved sleeve or ferrule is cylindrical in crosssection and is of drawn high conductivity copper. It is formed with oneor more internal longitudinal grooves and with a slot diametricallyopposite to the groove if there is only one groove. The

groove and the slot or either of them may be made after the ferrule isdrawn or cast but preferably both of them are made in the drawing orcasting process.

\Vhen made, the ferrule may have its sub- 79,436, and in Great BritainJune 20, 1925.

stantially cylindrical shape in cross section, in which case it isopened at the slot by any suitable means. Alternatively, the ferrulewhen first made may have its open shape and comprise two substantiallysemi-cylindrical portions having sufficient clearance between theiredges to admit the bared cable ends.

In either case the I ferrule, after being placed in the proper positionrelatively to the cable ends, can be readily closed up round them toform a smooth cylindrical sleeve.

The ends of the ferrule are preferably chamfered or rounded as usual sothat the whole surface may be smooth and free from projections.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a ferrule according to thisinvention during the process of being placed in position round theabutting ends of two conductors,

Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a portion of the ferrule inFigure 1 but closed round the conductors ready for the joint to be made,and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of an alternative form of ferrule alsoaccording to this invention.

"With reference first to Figures 1, 2 and 3, A and A are cables havinrrconducting cores A A which are to be jomed in alignment. Bis a ferruleor jointing sleeve made of cast, drawn or rolled metal having alongitudinal groove or thin portion B to allow the ferrule to be closedround the bared conductors. lVhen thus closed the ferrule is intended tobe circular in cross section as shown. in Figure 8, its edges nearlymeeting and the space C between them forming a slot through which themolten metal for the joint can pass. When the ferrule is applied to thebared conductors this space between its edges is enlarged sufficientlyto admit the conductors as may be seen in Figures 1 and 2, and theferrule when made may, if d sired, have the shape in cross section Wlliiis indicated in Figure 2. Alternatively, he ferrule before applicationmay have a cross sectional shape similar to that of its finished form(Figure 3) and the slot C may be opened sufficiently to admit theconductors. In either case, as previously mentioned, it is closed roundthe conductors after application so as to leave merely a comparativelynarrow slot at C.

As w'll be seen from Figure 1, the length of the i uproved ferruleapproximates closely to the length of the two bared conductor ends. Itis thus very suitable for use in jointing cables entering a junction boxwhere it is often impossible to thread the bared ends into a closedtubular ferrule. The use of the improved ferrule as previously mentionedavoids the necessity of baring more of the conductors than is necessaryfor the joint, and the taping and insulation of the finished joint isthus facilitated.

Where, as in the example illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3 the ferrulehas only one groove or thin portion B that portion is preferably midwaybetween the edges of the dividing slot C, but the ferrule may be madewith more than one grooveor thin portion and in the construction shownin Figure 4 there are two grooves B and B The ferrule shown in thisfigure is an example of one made initially with a circular crosssection, and the slot or space C would in such a case be opened orenlarged before application to the bared conductors, the ferrule beingthen pressed round the conductors as previously described. I i

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isAs a new article of manufacture, a ointing sleeve or ferrule forelectric cables comprising a tube of conducting material longitudinallyslitted for its full length, a longitudinal groove on the inner side ofthe tube, remote from said slit, forming a sleeve having a pair of thickwalled sections joined by a thin walled section, whereby said sleeve maybe opened by bending the thin walled section and closed without losingits original cross section. V

In testimony whereof I have name to this specification.

ALFRED EDGAR WILSON.

signed my

